‘Jon Waters Returns’, I’ve been hoping to write those words in the title of an article for almost two months. While Waters did return to Ohio Stadium last weekend, it wasn’t as director of the Ohio State University Marching Band; I still hope to write those three words again at some point for that reason. […]

‘Jon Waters Returns’, I’ve been hoping to write those words in the title of an article for almost two months. While Waters did return to Ohio Stadium last weekend, it wasn’t as director of the Ohio State University Marching Band; I still hope to write those three words again at some point for that reason. Saturday was the 46th TBDBITL Alumni Club reunion and over 700 marching band alumni made the trip back to Columbus to catch up with old friends, relive their glory days, and do it ‘one more time’. In addition to having been director of the marching band, Waters was also a former member and in that capacity he attended this year’s reunion to march with the rest of his fellow alumni.

Each year the alumni reunion sees band alumni ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s and 80s attend with some living in Columbus while others travel from across the country. So why do all of these alumni take time out of their schedule, incur a range of costs, drag themselves out of bed at 5:00 am on Saturday, and wear themselves out marching down the field? Sure, the alumni obviously enjoy music and performing but is that it? In an emotional speech to the alumni band at rehearsal on Friday evening, Waters answered this question as he talked about the true culture of the OSUMB, that of a group of people who have come from a wide variety of backgrounds, each with their own stories, to form a loving, supportive family through their experiences in the band and the lessons they learned there. It is this culture, this sense of family that keeps band alumni coming back every year to do it ‘one more time’. It is this culture that helped lead to a record reunion this year with over 800 alumni in attendance and over 700 marching.

In his ten minute speech to the alumni, Waters talked a little about what the past two months has been like for him but he spent most of his time talking about the effect on the marching band and its alumni and he called on the band alumni to not get caught up in conspiracy theories about what happened but instead to focus on supporting the current band and the current directing staff. Considering the fact that Waters is still fighting to get his job back, I thought it was incredibly classy that he didn’t make the speech all about himself and instead showed his love and dedication for the band and its students.

Every year both the current band and the alumni band perform at pregame and halftime. As normal, the current band led off pregame with their ramp entrance which got everyone in the stadium, including most of the Kent State band, clapping along as can be seen in the video below. Once the current band had completed “The Buckeye Battlecry” and turned back up-field, it was the alumni band’s turn and the great red horde thundered down the ramp. The size of the alumni band necessitates some alterations to ramp. As opposed to coming down the ramp in two colums, the alumni band comes down in six columns in order to keep ramp from going all the way through the first quarter. The size of the alumni band also means that the columns march along the sidelines before they flank toward the center of the field and form the block. This block is much bigger than the one of the current marching band and thus there is no enough room left on the field for the alumni band to do the same two choruses of the fight song like the OSUMB does, instead they do 1.5 choruses which you can notice if you listen carefully.

Some of you may have noticed something strange in the video above; at the end of their ramp, after they halt and turn, the current band takes two steps to the side. This is not a normal part of ramp but rather is done to avoid a collision with the alumni band. In the past the alumni would prevent this collision by flanking on a certain yard line during their march down the field, marching at a 45 degree angle for a few steps and then flanking again to continue marching straight down the field; the band switched to the current sidestep thing for simplicity.

Once both groups had finished ramp, the current band and the alumni marched up the field together to “Beautiful Ohio” before playing “Carmen Ohio”. Following Carmen, the alumni band marched off the field and the current band performed the rest of pregame by themselves. As part of the pregame show, the OSUMB honored John Tatgenhorst, a long time arranger for the marching band who is most famous for being the one to bring the idea of playing “Hang On Sloopy” to the band which helped launch his arranging career.

Normally the current band and the alumni band perform separate halftime shows before joining together for Script Ohio. This year, the groups decided to do something different and for the first time two bands came together to perform an entirely joint halftime show to honor the 70th anniversary of D-Day. The current band opened the show by forming ‘1944’ on the field while playing the fanfare from the documentary television series Victory at Sea. The band then played “This Is My Country” while forming one of its famous animated formations, this time of a solider proposing to his girl and then giving her a kiss. The pair of figures then morphed into a waving American flag. The alumni band then joined the current band on the field, performing their normal entrance to “I Wanna Go Back” as the crowd clapped and sang along with the approximately 900 brass and percussion players. The bands then featured the performances of the drum majors while performing a swing version of the march “American Patrol”.

No halftime show dedicated to D-Day would be complete without a salute to all the men and women who served in the armed forces and the bands obliged with the Armed Forces Medley. The alumni band formed a frame around the field while the current band formed images to represent each of the different services as their service song was played and veterans of that service were asked to stand. The armed service salute included some of the band’s now famous animated formations such as a tank with moving tracks for the Army, the Marines planting the flag at Iowa Jima, and a flying jet for the Air Force. The salute to the brave men and women of D-Day concluded with the playing of “America The Beautiful” as the bands presented a perfect patriotic photo opportunity.

Finally the moment that fans eagerly await every alumni game was at hand as the two bands took their places for the quadruple Script Ohio. The alumni game didn’t always feature a quad script, for a long time it was a triple Script but as alumni numbers grew, a fourth Script was added. Originally the quad Script featured two full size Scripts from the alumni on the sidelines while the current band performed the smaller double Scripts in the endzones. Alumni numbers kept growing and a few years ago the decision was made to perform four full size Scripts, three by the alumni and one by the current band.

The quad Script is actually very tough to perform, not just because it is Script and thus precision is needed but because band members are spread out so far across the field. The spacing involved makes it difficult to keep all four groups together musically due to sound travel time delays and there are times during the video where you can hear that the groups are slightly out of sync with each other. Additionally, the need to practice Script can be seen as not everyone in the alumni Scripts stop at the same time. This is no knock on the alumni who only practice on the field on Saturday morning before the game but rather it shows that Script Ohio is not the simple follow-the-leader drill that critics like to claim it is.

Once again TBDBITL and the alumni band put on a great reunion show. The alumni showed the tradition and pride that helped make TBDBITL what it is and the current band showed that the band’s tradition is still in good hands.

It is easy to take the performance of the alumni band for granted but the alumni band day at Ohio State is very unique. Sure, other schools will have an alumni band day but it is nowhere near the scale of TBDBITL’s and the performances aren’t even remotely close to the same quality. When I attended Michigan State for grad school I got to witness the MSU alumni band day several times. MSU alumni day attracts about 100 or so band alums who perform in street clothes and primarily stand in place while playing, the extent of their marching is to march from the endzone to the middle of the field in a block. Michigan also has an alumni band day and well, the video below should tell you everything that you need to know about that. The fact that OSU’s alumni day attracts so many people and that they perform such a good show with less than two hours of practice speaks volumes about TBDBITL and the people who have made up the band over the years.

Reunion weekend is often an emotional time for the alumni who return to campus as they reconnect with old friends and relive part of their college years. I’ve marched six alumni games and every time I go down that ramp it is an emotional experience that feels like coming home. With all the events of the past two months, this year’s reunion was even more emotional for a group of people who have seen an organization that they love and that was such a big part of their lives dragged through the mud.

Nobody was more emotional this weekend than Jon Waters. Waters skipped performing with the alumni band at Skull Session, likely because he didn’t want to be a distraction. He then joined the band for the march to the stadium and performed with them for pregame, marching down the ramp with those he had been in band with many years ago. The emotions of the day brought Waters to tears on several occasions, most notably during pregame when he was performing “Carmen Ohio”. Of course cameras found Waters during the alma mater and for those who consider him a friend, the video is absolutely heart breaking to watch and I found myself wishing that the camera would just look away.

It wasn’t just sad moments for Waters on Saturday. When he climbed the ladder in the second half to conduct the alumni band in “Hang on Sloopy” he was met with a standing ovation not just by the alumni band but by a large number of the fans in the North endzone. Throughout the day numerous people came up to Waters and hugged him or shook his hand while offering words of support. This wasn’t limited to just members of the alumni band or the current band, cheerleaders, stadium ushers, and sideline video crew members all came up to Waters over the course of the day to show their support. Perhaps one of the best moments came when Waters walked over to the current band and was met with chants of “Waters, Waters, Waters” from the student section. This was a big moment not just for Waters but also for the current band; one current band member summed up the moment saying “For the first time it felt like it wasn’t just band and band alumni that had been wronged.”

The wrist bands given out to alumni band members.

Last week the current band showed their support Waters by playing the Superman theme at Skull Session in honor of his rookie name. The alumni band showed their support by passing out black pins that said ‘JW’ on it which almost all of the alumni band wore on their uniform during the game. The alumni band also showed their support for the current band by making black wristbands that said ‘OUR HONOR DEFEND’, ‘TBDBITL’, and ‘WSWJW’ which were worn by many band members. When the football team came through Skull Session, one of the alumni band members handed their wrist \band to Coach Urban Meyer who apparently put it on. A sharp eyed band alumni noticed that Coach Meyer still seemed to be wearing the wristband later on based on photos from the OSU athletic department.

Urban Meyer wearing a TBDBITL wristband?

The band, like the football team, is off next weekend but that does not mean that it will be an easy week for OSUMB members. The band is already hard at work on their show for the Cincinnati game which will feature music from a beloved classic movie and some eye catching formations; we’ll reveal more details next week.

Alumni Club Releases Results Of Their Investigation

Shortly after Ohio State released the Glaros Report and fired Jonathan Waters, the TBDBITL Alumni Club formed its own investigative panel to look into the allegations about the band’s culture. The panel released its report on Friday after talking to dozens of witnesses and assembling hundreds of pages of supporting documents. The alumni club report is highly critical of the Glaros Report and points out that many of the details in the original report were incorrect, unsubstantiated, or occurred before Waters was director. In addition to interviewing far more individuals than the Glaros Report did, the report also provides names of witnesses in compiling evidence as to the mistakes in the Glaros Report.

Perhaps the most difficult part of the report to read is the section detailing the impact that OSU releasing the Glaros Report has had on current and former band members. Many current and former band members have faced harassment by members of the public, questioning by colleagues and supervisors at work, and even had issues with family members. Some former band members have suffered financial losses at work due to loss of customers and former members in education have faced scrutiny from parents and administrators. Some current members have reported being harassed by fellow OSU students and at least one has had thoughts of suicide.

On Sunday supporters of Jon Waters held a “Rally Fore Jon” event at the FourSeasons Golf Center. The event featured a performance by members of the TBDBITL alumni band as well as various other events. In addition to wanting to show Waters and his family that he had a lot of people on its side, the event was designed to raise money for Waters’ legal fund. Part of the fundraising efforts included the auction off of various TBDBITL and sports themed items. Perhaps the most exciting item up for auction was the drum major baton used for Woody Hayes “i” dot, engraved plaque, and certificate of authenticity which was generously donated by Bruce Hart, the drum major who led Woody out to the top of the ‘i’ that day. This was an amazingly generous donation by Mr. Hart and I wish I could have been in attendance to bid on it, the framed baton ended up selling for $8,600.

OSU Announces Members of Search Committee

Ohio State had previously announced the formation of a search committee that would be responsible for conducting a nationwide search to find the next director of the OSUMB. On Monday, OSU announced the names of those on the committee. The committee will be overseen by Mark Shanda, the dean of Arts and Humanities and will consist of:

– Scott Jones – Associate Director of University Bands in the School of Music, one of the current interim marching band directors, and TBDBITL alumnus
– Ted McDaniel – Professor of Music and African-American and African Studies, head of the Jazz Studies program, and longtime arrange for the marching band
– Deborah Larsen – Director of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Assistant Dean of the College of Medicine, and former member of the Athletic Council. She was recommended by the University Senate.
– Jeffrey Jordan – CFO of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, treasurer of the OSU Alumni Association, TBDBITL alumnus, and past president of the TBDBITL Alumni Club.
– Diana Sabau – Senior Associate Director of Athletics
– Two current student members of the band who will be selected by the band’s leaders.

Overall this is a well put together, balanced panel that includes representation from the university departments that the band director will be part of (the School of Music and Athletics), a representative from another university department to provide an outside perspective, and student representation. The fact that there are two student voices on the panel is rare in a faculty search for a large university and the fact that the alumni are represented shows that this is a rather unique hire. For those concerned with maintaining the unique style and tradition of excellence of the band in the future, the fact that 5 of the 8 members of the committee have ties to the band should be reassuring.

Definitely no nopes this week in our weekly awards. As a matter of fact, most of the guys could not make up their minds who should have got the top spots in each category, but Caesar is still here to decide if they live or die! One of our best awards issue to date. Want to […]

Definitely no nopes this week in our weekly awards. As a matter of fact, most of the guys could not make up their minds who should have got the top spots in each category, but Caesar is still here to decide if they live or die! One of our best awards issue to date. Want to thank Jeremiah from MOTSAG for chiming in this week, hope he can keep them coming!

Offensive -

JT Barrett may run away with this award replacing Braxton as an almost unanimous choice

#tOSUOMVP

Jeremiah – Mike Thomas- I really thought he would have a big year but when Brax went down I was worried he would get lost in the struggle.

Scott – Barrett

Joe – JT Barrett — You got to love the improvement and patience he showed.

Ken – JT Barrett

Jason – JT Barrett

Patrick – JT Barrett and Michael Thomas

MDotySr – JT played lights out but honorable mention to our playmakers!!

Mali – Barrett

WVa – The “distributor” may run away with the year end awards as offensive MVP, making a great argument for it. On this day though, Mike Thomas showed why he was getting some hype, may back up his big spring game performance from last year soon!

#tOSUOlineMVP

Jeremiah – Joel Hale came in and gave the team solid minutes.

Scott – Decker

Joe – The Group as a whole. Second half gave them a chance to play long sustained drives and they dominated the Kent State D Line

Ken – in contrast to last week, everyone

Jason – All 5

Patrick – Billy Price

MDotySr – Billy Price! Played two positions and the entire game. Very powerful out there!

Mali – Price

WVa – Billy Price is a man-child and makes it easy to see why he is considered the best of the o-line. Also a pretty good indication that he is better served where he is as Boren develops at center.

Makes some moves and turns on the jets to score 63 yarder

#tOSUOTopPlay

Jeremiah – Marcus Baugh TD- who knew he would even still be on the team.

Scott – JT to Thomas for 63

Joe – 63 yard scamper from Michael Thomas on the toss from JT Barrett was a thing of beauty

Ken – JT to Thomas for 14 yd TD to open the scoring

Jason – That long TD pass

Patrick – any slant, swing pass, or shovel pass that wasn’t called last week

MDotySr – The initial TD pass to Michael Thomas

Mali – Mike Thomas catch and score

WVa – ditto ditto ditto ditto, Mike Thomas is the best WR on this team.

#tOSUOUnsung

Jeremiah – Warren Ball- Has he passed Bri’onte and Rod Smith on the depth chart or just a one off situation.

Scott – Nuernberger

Joe – EZE was at it again. He averaged 11 yards per play and had over 100 total yards

Ken – Nuernberger (the lad needs to ice his leg down after today)

Jason – Curtis Samuel. Quietly had 100 yards

Patrick – Jon Waters…what a moving emotional return

MDotySr – Elliot, not doubt. Caught and ran effectively

Mali – no comment

WVa – Nick Vannett, wow, the Buckeyes first passes to a TE don’t come until it’s just him and Marcus Baugh and he didn’t disappoint.

Defensive -

lining him up for some pain

#tOSUDMVP

Jeremiah – Raekwon McMillan- Had a great game and will fuel the Curtis Grant haters.

Scott – Raekwon

Joe – Raekwon McMillan went into beast mode. Led the team in sacks and tackles great game and awareness on the field

Ken – Raekwon McMillen

Jason – “Raekwonza” McMillan, led the team in tackles

Patrick – Darron Lee

MDotySr – Darron Lee was all over the field making plays, AGAIN!

Mali – Entire unit

WVa – The entire unit deserves praise after failing a test against VaTech

#tOSUDlineMVP

Jeremiah – Jalyn Holmes- Really has that it factor and was all over the field making plays.

Scott – Whole line

Joe – Like Scott, the unit as a whole

Ken – Bosa

Jason – just put me down for Bosa every week (noted and macro-ed)

Patrick – Joey Bosa

MDotySr – Bosa, enough said.

Mali – Bosa forever (done and macro-ed)

WVa – Always Bosa, there’s no better d-lineman in the country (done and macro-ed)

Joe – Doran Grant — Some key breakups that led to turnovers and good overall pass coverage.

Ken – special teams. Kicked off a lot. Held returns to <20 yd average

Jason – Josh Perry (again)

Patrick – Doran Grant just does his job!

MDotySr – McMillian, played very well with a sack!

Mali – Jalyn Holmes

WVa – Doran Grant, clear leader of this team in back seven and is making plays!

Other -

#tOSUSTMVP

Scott – Nuernberger

Joe – Jeff Greene with that Punt block. It’s all I harped about on the Radio Hour this week get a punt block!

Ken – Nuernberger (sheer perfection this week)

Jason – Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson

Patrick – Nuernberger

MDotySr – Jalin Marshall

Mali – Bryce Haynes. Duh.

WVa – Nuernberger has to have leg cramps after a game like that, kid has some serious ups!

Special kid has lit up three categories, more to come!

#tOSUNewcomer

Jeremiah – Curtis Samuel- He is really impressing the coaches and the fans.

Scott – Jalin Marshall

Joe – Curtis Samuel just adds another weapon into the mix on offense. Tough choice this week between him and Kwon

Ken – Jalin Marshall (this lad is really special)

Jason – “Raekwonza” McMillan

Patrick – Raekwon McMillan

MDotySr – I will say McMillian but a lot of youngster looked good (Jamarco Jones my honorable mention)

Mali – Jeff Greene

WVa – agree with Mali here, Jeff Greene gave us a nice performance!

#tOSUMorePT

Jeremiah – Erick Smith- Had a nice INT and OSU needs ball hawks.

Scott – Jalin Marshall

Joe – Jalin Marshall and Ezekiel Elliot need more touches.

Ken – Jalin Marshall (this lad is really special)(again)

Jason – more carries for Ezekiel Elliott

Patrick – Raekwon McMillan

MDotySr – Jaylen Holmes, what a freaking monster with a chip on his shoulder!!

Mali – Mike Thomas

WVa – I am on the fence here simply for the fact that it appears this team will be about sharing the wealth, and the coaching staff will probably stick to it because of the playmakers that are showing up. Sharing one football with multiple playmakers is not easy but can happen. After Saturday, the one I need to see have more touches is Briont’e Dunn, somehow his power can play a role

#tOSUOverhyped

Jeremiah – The fans- Leaving at halftime in droves. Stay and support the team until the end please.

Scott – Rod Smith

Joe – The crowd. Was a bit disappointed with the showing at the Shoe.

Ken – Briont’e Dunn

Jason – Nobody this week!

Patrick – Dontre Wilson

MDotySr – No comment

Mali – Kent State

WVa – pains me to say this because I really like the kid, Evan Spencer, the talent Coach Meyer brought in has surpassed him.

perfect honoring of a fallen teammate

#KentStMVP

Jeremiah – Their fans for having to watch that team play every week.

Scott – Team training staff

Joe – Nate Holley — 14 tackles says enough.

Ken – Paul Haynes, forgetting through this

Jason – Bus driver

Patrick – Jason Bitsko RIP young man

MDotySr – Najaee Murray for coming back after getting hurt early!

Mali – Jason Bitsko

WVa – Jason Bitsko and the team for wearing 54 on their helmets big and bold, I was honestly a little surprised tOSU didn’t honor as well just for this game.

Since the team is on a bye idle, no press updates from Coach Meyer this week. No news is good news. Kent Not Super, Man-I wish I could say that the Buckeye’s 66-0 win over Kent State was impressive. It’s the equivalent of going up to your boss at the end of the day and […]

Since the team is on a bye idle, no press updates from Coach Meyer this week. No news is good news.

Kent Not Super, Man-I wish I could say that the Buckeye’s 66-0 win over Kent State was impressive. It’s the equivalent of going up to your boss at the end of the day and saying “I did my job today”. Thumbs up bro, maybe I wouldn’t feel so snarky about it if I wasn’t still nursing the wound that Virgina Tech poured salt in after losing to East Carolina Saturday.

HOWEVER- JT Barrett seemed more comfortable after he settled in around five offensive drives in. Later in the game Jt would go on to tie the school record of six touchdown passes in one game. Jt tweeted out that he expected to get a text from Kenny Guiton later on that night.

In Other Words- JT Barrett was named Big Ten Player of the week and Big Ten Freshman of the week because of his performance against Kent State.

Stress Reaction- is how Coach Meyer labeled Jeff Heuerman’s injury to the same foot he’d had surgery on previously. Coach Meyer mentioned the tight end should be full speed by Monday of Cincinnati week according to his post game press conference. Nick Vannett is a worthy back up and got to see some playing time in an cracked open play book against Kent State. Vannett picked up 40 receiving yards on the day.

Flag Planting- The Ohio State coaching staff hits the road this week, doing work to follow up with target recruits and make connections with next year’s class of superstars.

Noah Spence-Word came out Friday before the Kent State game that Noah Spence was declared in violation of team rules and would be ineligible to play after coming off a suspension for the same violation. Under B1G Rules, all things point to Noah Spence’s career being finished at Ohio State yet no official word has come down other than he’s entered a rehab program.

Waters Works- Jon Waters was able to attend the normal Alumni Band functions seemingly drama free. He led the alumni band, and was filmed during the playing of Carmen Ohio breaking down emotionally and still garnering support from his fellow alumni and former band members.

Well that was much better. Although I’m sure some folks will still complain despite thrashing Clark Kent State 66-0. Could have been a lot worse. I don’t see too much to be disappointed about. A win: We got that. And then some. 250 rushing yards: With 34 to spare. At least 200 passing yards: Had […]

The Ohio State offense scored fast and often Saturday afternoon, as the Buckeyes scored on 7 of their 8 drives in the first half en route to a 66-0 victory against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Ohio Stadium. JT Barrett started the game on fire, throwing for two touchdown passes on the first two […]

The Ohio State offense scored fast and often Saturday afternoon, as the Buckeyes scored on 7 of their 8 drives in the first half en route to a 66-0 victory against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Ohio Stadium.

JT Barrett started the game on fire, throwing for two touchdown passes on the first two Ohio State offensive possessions. After a 4 play — 44 yard drive that ended in a 14 yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas out of the shotgun, Barrett returned to the field after a Kent State three an out to add another quick score.

The freshman quarterback quickly marched down the field on his second drive, going 66 yards in a little more than two minutes. He capped it off with a nice swing pass to Rod Smith for the 8 yard touchdown.

On the first two drives, the freshman quarterback flashed his growth on the field — going 8/9 for 88 yards and two touchdowns.

The Buckeyes capped off their scoring at the end of the first quarter with a 63 yard pitch and catch from Barrett to Michael Thomas to make it 31-0.

Barrett would keep the long ball connection going after a stalled drive that turned into a 41 yard Sean Nuernberger field goal.

After a Joshua Perry interception, the young signal caller found paydirt on a 50 yard pass to Devin Smith.

Overall, Barrett threw five touchdown passes in the first half and over 300 yards passing. He finished 23/30 in the air for 312 yards and 6 touchdowns, while tying the record for touchdowns thrown by a quarterback in a game — with six.

The Buckeyes headed into the locker room at halftime with a 45-0 lead. Ohio State lost the time of possession battle, but that was simply because their seven scoring drives were all under two minutes and thirty seconds.

As witnessed below, it was nearly impossible to get things going for the Kent State offense all day. Including this blunder that happened just before halftime that really signified the Golden Flashes’ play all day.

In the second half, Ohio State got things started with a blocked punt from Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Greene. Ron Tanner would pick up the football but then lose possession of it as it rolled all the way to the OSU 2 yard line.

Kent State would again go three and out and Ohio State would capitalize on a 6 play drive that included 4 runs from freshman Curtis Samuel. Jalin Marshall capped off the drive with a three yard catch and score.

Marshall and Samuel both had great games as the Buckeye backfield shined in the win. Samuel ran for 100 yards on 15 carries and scored twice. Marshall also scored twice while playing a big part in the special teams as well as the passing game.

Ezekiel Elliot also had a solid game from the backfield, totaling 117 yards of total offense and nearly 11 yards per play.

Ohio State’s defense only gave up 126 total yards on the day, while the offense accumulated 628 yards.

Just how good was the Ohio State offense? Coach Kerry Coombs didn’t need to call out his punting unit for the first time with 5:55 to go in the 4th quarter.

The Buckeyes head into the bye week with a much needed win. They will wrap up the non-conference schedule following the bye with the Cincinnati Bearcats of the Big East Conference.

Day game, noon kickoff, alumni band day, and Kent State headed to the ‘Shoe to face a Buckeye team looking for some answers and some redemption of last week’s home loss. This will be our conversation for the matchup with the Flashes… our sports bar across the nation, if you will. You know the drill- […]

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/tbbc-liveblog-kent-state.html/feed0Campus Insiders: Expect Youth Against Kent Statehttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/campus-insiders-expect-youth-against-kent-state.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=campus-insiders-expect-youth-against-kent-state
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/campus-insiders-expect-youth-against-kent-state.html#commentsFri, 12 Sep 2014 22:15:07 +0000http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=48674Rebounding from the loss to Virginia Tech will be a challenge, but playing in-state schools adds another level of excitement, according to Jim Lachey and the team at Campus Insiders:

It’s great when the Buckeyes play “in state” schools… feels like a family reunion of sorts. This week’s discussion of Ohio State’s Saturday foe is with our brother from another mother Taylor Rosen, the Kent State University football beat reporter. You can check him out in the Daily Kent Stater and on KentWired.com as well. […]

It’s great when the Buckeyes play “in state” schools… feels like a family reunion of sorts. This week’s discussion of Ohio State’s Saturday foe is with our brother from another mother Taylor Rosen, the Kent State University football beat reporter. You can check him out in the Daily Kent Stater and on KentWired.com as well.

First things first: what should Buckeye fans know about Jason Bitsko? How can we support his family following their loss?

Godspeed, #54

Buckeye fans should know that Jason Bitsko was an extremely hard worker. Bitsko was also a great teammate and friend to the players around him. The players talked about his high level of character, and how he was always there when they needed support. We can support his family by giving them time to deal with the tragedy. Also, the players on the team told me they have one goal in mind for this season: Make it to a bowl game for the Bitsko family. Ed: There’s also a memorial fund for folks wishing to pay it forward.

Kent State has had a tough go of it thus far in 2014. What growth did you see in the Flashes from week one to week two?

The Flashes did have an extremely rough start to the season this year, but they have showed signs of improvement from the first game to the second. To start, the offensive line did a much better job last week against South Alabama controlling the line of scrimmage. That is something they must do this week against Ohio State if they want to come out victorious.

Always A Buckeye

We’re big fans of Coach Paul Haynes here at tBBC… How would you characterize his tenure at KSU thus far? What are the next steps that the program needs to take, and do you believe that he’s the coach to lead them there?

Paul Haynes is the perfect coach for the Kent State program. When Darrell Hazell left for Purdue, the program seemed a bit deflated. We had just made our first bowl game in a many years, and it felt like we had to start from the bottom again. The hiring of Haynes brought about a sense of relief through the program. His coaching techniques are very similar to Hazell’s and he attended and played for Kent State in college. The university is ecstatic to have Haynes as the face of their program.

Ohio State’s offense was stifled for the most part by the Hokies on Saturday. How do you see Kent State utilizing some of the same ideas to attack the Buckeyes this week?

Anytime you have a freshman quarterback under center you want to show him blitz packages and defensive formations he has never seen. I expect the Flashes to stack the box and come after Barrett with pressure. They want to force him to beat them through the air.

When Najee Murray went down with the injury, we were hopeful that he’d choose to continue his career in Columbus. Has he been able to regain his form under Coach Haynes?

Najee Murray has done well in his time at Kent State. The Flashes have not been gashed in the passing game as of yet. I credit a good portion of that to Murray stepping up his game and working hard in practice.

The Flashes’ Flash

Who are two players on offense and on defense that Buckeye fans should be familiar with going into Saturday morning?

Two players on offense that Buckeye fans should look out for are wide-out Ernest Calhoun, and tight-end Casey Pierce. Calhoun is a speedster much like the Flashes star player a season ago, Dri Archer. Calhoun is a bit smaller and is used more in the slot than in the back field. Casey Pierce is coming off of a great game. He caught a 44 yard touchdown pass to tighten up the score in the second half.

On defense, look out for safety Nate Holley, and defensive tackle Jontey Bird. Holley had 18 tackles in the first game of the season and was given the MAC East Defensive player of the week for that performance. Byrd is a freshman who has seen an increase of playing time because of his production on the field.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/across-the-web-kent-state.html/feed0What Do You Want To See On Saturday? Kent Statehttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/what-do-you-want-to-see-kent-state.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-do-you-want-to-see-kent-state
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/what-do-you-want-to-see-kent-state.html#commentsFri, 12 Sep 2014 12:16:46 +0000http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=48597

Here we go again. Last week’s disappointing loss is behind most of us. Kent State should be the perfect elixir for what allegedly ails the Buckeyes. I say allegedly because OSU has a rebuilt O-line, a QB who wasn’t supposed to play much yet and some new things on defense so it’s going to take […]

Last week’s disappointing loss is behind most of us. Kent State should be the perfect elixir for what allegedly ails the Buckeyes.

I say allegedly because OSU has a rebuilt O-line, a QB who wasn’t supposed to play much yet and some new things on defense so it’s going to take time.

That said, here is what I am anticipating:

A win: I usually list this last. But I think this is the most important thing I want to see.

Run, run, run: Lets see the running game finally take off. I want to see 250 yards on the ground.

Pass, pass, pass: I want to see a smorgasbord of throws to the tune of 200 yards or more.

O-line: Time to grow up and play well.

Defense: Get off the field on third down.

Ready To Launch

MaliBuckeye

Noah’s Ark: Noah Spence is back, and I’d like to see him gather two of every kind of running back and quarterback and then but them in a boat headed for “Loser Island”

No False Starts: Two of them last week?

Picks? Six: Kent State’s QB is very streaky… let’s make sure the streak is not a good one.

Get Some Protection: JT Barrett should not be sacked this week. Or last week, for that matter.

E+R=O: How will the team respond???

Jason

Defense: Shut out.

Cohesion: An offense that looks sharp, prepared and dominates. I don’t who makes big plays, but someone make them. Dominate in all areas. Look impressive, like you learned something from last week.

Energy: Show up ready and excited, even if the stadium is sleepy and uninterested. Do things to get them interested.

Stadium: I expect this one to not happen, but be loud and rowdy. So what if it’s Kent State? There’s a lot still to play for and these guys need to know we have their back. It’s supposed to be a nice, cool afternoon. Go out and enjoy yourself.

Patrick

Youngsters: Meyer has stated several times since the MSU game and the Orange Bowl that he needed/needs to play the young kids. I want to see Raekwon McMillon, Damon Webb, Garyon Conley, Johnnie Dixon, etc. Stop saying you need to play these kids and play them. Especially on defense.

Defense: More like what I DONT want to see. I don’t want to see Kent WRs running free in the secondary. This game is a game you can play press coverage from snap one. Give these DBs the in-game experience of doing it. Editor’s Note: By DBs, we mean defensive backs, not the other thing.

Play Calling: I don’t want to see one pass over 40 yards. I don’t know if it was Herman or JT, but the amount of long bombs in the Va Tech game was alarming. I want to see slants (a la Michael Thomas TD), screens, bubble screens, swing passes, etc. Don’t make a young offensive line hold their blocks for 5-6 seconds. Won’t happen. I’m sure Kent is gonna come out blitzing. Neutralize it from snap one.

Yeah, Not Good

Charles

Catch the Ball: Way too many drops last week.

Short Routes by the Receivers: Tom Herman, we get it, you like long bombs but add in some short stuff to keep opponents from blitzing so much.

Coverage: Way too many guys open last week when VT had the ball. I especially want to see the linebackers do better in coverage.

Do it ‘one more time': It’s alumni band day, show everyone how ‘old’ people can still get it done.

Ken

No injuries

A win

Imagination on Offense: I’m impressed that JT can throw deep. Let’s see what other passes he can throw. Let the RBs R the ball. Last week JT had 24 of 40 carries. Seriously?

DB’s & LB’s: Act like you’ve been taught how to cover a receiver. Please.

Wrap up: I’ll bang Charles’ drum this week. Too many block-tackles last week. Wrap up with your arms guys, you were taught this in junior high football.

Game Day

Joe

Sell out the Shoe: When was the last time that Buckeye fans didn’t put 100,000 in Ohio Stadium? During their 2002 championship run against … you guessed it — Kent State. Let’s fill the Shoe

Bring the Spence: Noah Spence is back and ready to attack offenses opposite Joey Bosa. Would love to see Spence get to the QB.

Block a Punt: The Buckeyes should have superior Special teamers. Urban Meyer is 21-0 since 2005 when his team blocks a punt. Go After it STers!

WVaBuckeye

Showmanship: Don’t be outdone by TBDBTL this week. I know that’s a tall order with how ridiculous their performances have been but use the young playmakers to light things up. (Cue FallOut Boy)

Let’s Get Physical: I am not saying the team isn’t playing with physicality. On the contrary. I think they’re very physical. Just not in the right ways. Don’t back down from the fight, hold the blocks for 4-6 seconds and give JT time.

You are Beautiful: Instead of the a good, the Bad, and the Ugly with regards to the three phases of a game. Be beautiful. Take the opportunity to perform at a high level and show the nation how good they can be. (Cue James Blunt or Christina Aguilera whichever you prefer)

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/what-do-you-want-to-see-kent-state.html/feed0tBBC Preview: Kent Statehttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/tbbc-preview-kent-state.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tbbc-preview-kent-state
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/tbbc-preview-kent-state.html#commentsWed, 10 Sep 2014 17:00:47 +0000http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=48504The #22 Buckeyes (1-1) host Kent State (0-2) Saturday. Former Buckeye assistant coach Paul Haynes brings the Golden Flashes into Columbus Saturday. Not necessarily to stop a two-game skid, although I guess it’s possible, but more likely to calibrate his team against an Ohio State team that is also trying to find its footing. This will […]

]]>The #22 Buckeyes (1-1) host Kent State (0-2) Saturday. Former Buckeye assistant coach Paul Haynes brings the Golden Flashes into Columbus Saturday. Not necessarily to stop a two-game skid, although I guess it’s possible, but more likely to calibrate his team against an Ohio State team that is also trying to find its footing. This will be the 3rd meeting between these teams, with Ohio State winning in 2002 (51-17) and in 2007 (48-3).

Last season, KSU (4-8) finished with a two game win streak to end the season in a somewhat positive fashion, but have found 2014 to be rough going so far. Their prospects won’t improve on Saturday.

Ohio State on Offense:

In the Virginia Tech preview, I mentioned that the Hokies Bud Foster would bring a hell-razing defense, and that Coach Herman would be aware of that. He was, as it turned out, “aware” in the sense of a wildebeest being “aware” that lions are eating it alive. “Yeah, bad stuff is happening, but I can’t do anything about it at the moment” type of awareness.

Fortunately for Ohio State, the Kent State defense isn’t the Virginia Tech defense. In their 14-17 loss to Ohio, Kent State gave up 437 yards (175 rushing) in offense, but Ohio’s 4 fumbles kept the score down. Against U of South Alabama, they improved somewhat (347 yards) but still gave up 186 yards rushing.

Against VT, Ohio State ran the ball 40 times for a paltry 108 yards net. Not good. Even worse, quarterback JT Barrett was “credited” with 24 of the 40 carries. There needs to be a focused effort to run the ball with running backs. The only time I want to see Barrett run the ball is if he elects to keep on an option play. We all know there is talent at running back; Ohio State recruited them, let’s use them.

Kent State provides an opportunity for Herman and Barrett to get their feet under themselves. In two games, opponents have completed 60% of their passes for 3 TD’s, 0 interceptions and 2 sacks. Maybe some nice short-mid crossing patterns to work a receiver loose, perhaps a throw or two (off play action) to a tight end would work. Ohio State currently sits, at 27.5 point per game, 80th nationally in points-per-game. There’s some opportunity for the young Buckeyes to improve this week

Ohio State on Defense:

Offensively, Kent State has found it hard to put points on the board, a total of 27 for two games, which places them next to last in the Mid-American Conference, and 120th nationally.

Ohio State should improve their rushing defense since; a) they’re not playing Army, and KSU averages 48 YPG rushing. Granted, it’s still a bit early in the season to compare averages, but I have to start someplace, sometime. Nick Holley, 5’10”, 190 RB leads KSU in rushing, with 10 attempts per game at 2.8 yards per carry.

So, how does this shake out? The line on this game opened with Ohio State at -26, and has moved to -32 at the time of this article. Ohio State will get the win as expected. It will be worth tuning in to gauge what improvement occurred this past week with offensive line play, offensive play calling and defensive secondary play. Baby steps..

The game is scheduled for an 12:00 PM EST kickoff. Television coverage is provided by ESPN2, check local listings. We’re going to run the in-game chat, beginning approximately 30 minutes before kickoff. We look forward to seeing you.